The family saga is a genre of literature that chronicles the lives and doings of a family, or a number of related or interconnected families, over a period of time. In novels with a serious intent, this is often a thematic device used to portray particular historical events, changes in social circumstances, or the ebb and flow of fortunes from a multitude of perspectives.
Facts
Place of OriginOld Norse literary tradition; the word saga was borrowed into English from Old Norse by eighteenth-century scholars to describe these medieval prose narratives. 1 Notable ExampleThe Forsyte Saga by John Galsworthy. 1 Defining TraitChronicles the lives of a family, or several related and interconnected families, across a span of time, often used to portray historical change, shifting social circumstance or the rise and fall of fortunes from many perspectives. 1 Connections
Sources
1. Family Saga (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationLead section
The family saga is a genre of literature which chronicles the lives and doings of a family or a number of related or interconnected families over a period of time.
Literature section
The Forsyte Saga, by John Galsworthy
Lead section, para 2 (Old Norse etymology)
The word saga comes from Old Norse, where it meant "what is said, utterance, oral account, notification" and "(structured) narrative, story (about somebody)", and was originally borrowed into English from Old Norse by scholars in the eighteenth century to refer to the Old Norse prose narratives known as sagas.
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